The problem often is that you don’t know what’s happening in your area. However, unless you live in the middle of nowhere, there are likely to be concerts, gigs, exhibitions, and events happening this weekend close to where you live. You just need to know where to look…

Google Search Lists Local Events

Google now lists local events happening in your area in the near future. All you need to do to access the information is type “events near me” into Google Search. You’ll then get shown a list of events happening in your vicinity, with the option to zero in on what interests you.

You can also narrow your search to a particular type of event or location. So, as Google demonstrates in the tweet embedded below, searching for “jazz concerts in Austin” will surface all jazz concerts happening in Austin in the next few weeks.

Google lists all of the relevant information about each event, including the date, the time, and the location. If none of the events displayed appeal, you can click on “more events” to be shown an expanded list. You can also click on the filters to customize the results as you see fit.

Google Goes to War With Facebook

This is one of those features that’s so obvious you have to wonder why Google hadn’t introduced it before. Still, better late than never, and it’s always good to have more than one option available. And that applies to Google vs. Facebook as much as to a rock concert vs. an art exhibition.

Do you regularly attend events in your area? How do you find out what’s happening? Do you often find events through Facebook? Or do you scour the local newspapers? Do you welcome Google’s new efforts to unearth local events? Please let us know in the comments below!